


Four Conversations Shaun Didn't Have, and One He Did

by SarahJeanne



Category: Shelter (2007)
Genre: AU, M/M, five things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-10-12
Updated: 2009-10-12
Packaged: 2017-10-04 13:57:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarahJeanne/pseuds/SarahJeanne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What it says on the tin, four AU conversations Shaun could have had, and the one he did.  Set during movie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four Conversations Shaun Didn't Have, and One He Did

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to [](http://dragontatt.livejournal.com/profile)[**dragontatt**](http://dragontatt.livejournal.com/) for the beta

**Gabe**

"What up, big brother? I didn't know you were coming into town."

Shaun emerged from the fridge where he was putting away groceries, "I'm just full of surprises."

"This is great, man," Gabe hopped up onto the counter, "you staying for awhile?"

"For a couple days, maybe. I thought you were gonna be in S.B. this summer?"

"Eventually, got a girl to see first."

"That wouldn't be Morgan, would it? She was here, looking for you."

"She wishes. That's just a bad idea, though."

"She's hot, man. What's the problem?"

"She's Billy Hampton's little sister, it's just too weird."

Shaun shifted to lean against the fridge, "why is that weird for you?"

"It's not. But for Billy? Really fucking weird. How would you feel if I started seeing one of your friends? Or me, if you got with Zach or something?" Gabe covered his face with his hands, "oh God, just sent myself to a bad mental image place. That would be so strange. Thank God my friends are straight."

Shaun's voice took on an edge, "how lucky for you."

"You know that's not what I mean, bro. I wouldn't care if they were, it'd just be weird if you got with one of them." Gabe jumped off the counter. "New subject: you're in town, I need to see the lovely Anna; we're gonna party on the beach tonight."

"Sounds like fun."

"Oh it will be. I'm gonna go buy beer. Just remember," he yelled as he walked out of the house, "keep your hands off the kids."

"Actually," Shaun said to the floor, "he hasn't been a kid since he turned 18; it's been perfectly legal for four years now." He let his head fall back, "I should have stayed in L.A."

 

**Jim**

A series of thuds startled Shaun awake from where he was slumped over his laptop. He got up and followed the sound of someone swearing to the back porch where he found Gabe's friend, Zach, surrounded by knocked over surfboards. His phone rang in his pocket before he could say anything. Zach jumped at the sound, dropping the board he was trying to right. Shaun laughed and waved and he walked back into the house to answer his phone.

"Hello?" He was answered with silence. "_Hello?_"

"Shaun."

He sighed and slumped into a chair, propping up his head with his hand. "Jim."

"Do you…do you have a minute? Can we talk?"

"I don't want to do this again Jim, we've been having this fight for months and I'm done." Shaun dragged his hand down his face and looked up at the ceiling, hoping it would magically have the answers.

"No, look, I called to apologize. I've been unfair, I should have listened more. I screwed up, Shaun, and I know it. Come back, I miss you."

Shaun sighed, again. "I miss you too, but I can't put myself through that again. We're in two different places."

"What if I said that I think you're right, maybe going to the bars every night isn't as cool as it used to be? Maybe it's time to settle down a little."

Shaun got up and started doing circles around the kitchen island. "Are you saying that because you actually think it, or because you think that's what I want to hear?"

"It's true, Shaun. When I've gone out since you left, it's been awful. I'd much rather spend a night in on the couch with you. I know you're mad, you should be mad. But come back to L.A. and we can talk. I'll make this right."

Shaun leaned back against the fridge, feeling defeated. Despite what his better judgment told him, he did want to make it work with Jim. "Please?" Jim prompted, after a long silence.

"Fine. But I'm not promising anything other than a conversation at this point."

"That's all I'm asking for, Shaun."

"I'll be there in a few hours."

"Okay, I'll see you then. I love you."

"Yeah. Love you." Shaun closed the phone and walked back outside. Zach had reorganized the pile of surfboards and had started waxing one of them. He looked up when Shaun appeared.

"Hey man, sorry to intrude like this, I didn't know you were back in town."

"No prob, dude. You're cool. I'm actually just about to head out again anyway."

"So soon?"

"Yeah," he held up his phone. "The ex just did some groveling. Gotta go work some stuff out."

"Cool." Zach shifted his gaze to somewhere over Shaun's shoulder. "Well, good luck with that."

"Thanks. I gotta pack. Take care."

 

**Zach**

"Ow! Oh-ho, Adam's apple." Shaun flopped back (_damn, that hurt_) and suddenly became very aware of the man lying next to him. Wrestling, on what was practically a _bed_, was probably letting this go a little to far. He was proved right when a few, awkward moments later Zach reached out and tentatively touched his chest. Then, Zach's face was right above his and they were kissing.

Zach tasted like the beer he'd been frantically drinking earlier, but Shaun wanted nothing more than to suck his bottom lip right into his mouth. Instead, he pushed on Zach's shoulders and tried to sit up, "Zach, stop." The look on Zach's face as he moved away almost made Shaun forget it and pull him back in. Almost. "Zach."

"No. It's fine, whatever." Zach's back was already toward him as he scrambled to find where he had put his keys.

Shaun jumped in front him as he attempted to walk away. "Wait a second, wait a second. Look," he paused, trying to figure out what to say. "Zach, I just got out of a relationship that ended so, so badly. You're young and you have so much ahead of you. You're talented; you're just starting out on this path. I'm just…in a different place. You should be with someone your own age, someone you can experience that with."

"Whatever." Zach pushed by him, "I'll see you around."

"Shit," Shaun whispered, as he watched Zach walk out of the house.

 

**Abby**

_Fucking hell_, Shaun thought, as he was jerked awake by his phone playing some Amy Winehouse song Zach thought made a hilarious ringtone. Zach. Fuck.

Shaun finally found the phone and enjoyed the silence that descended as he answered it. His first attempt to say hello failed miserably. He swallowed a couple of times, cleared his throat, and tried again, "Hello?"

"Shaun! You're alive, though you don't sound it."

"Abby?"

"Yeah! God, Shaun, what the hell happened to you? You sound like shit."

"I think I had a lot to drink last night."

"You _think_? That doesn't sound like you, Shaun. What's wrong?"

Shaun groaned and put a pillow over his face to block out the sun. "I got dumped last night, Abby. I got dumped again for the second time in as many months and now…." He trailed off; he had no idea what now was.

"Shaun, sweetie, tell me what happened."

Shaun sat up and stared at the empty bed where Zach should be and started talking. He told Abby everything, from the implosion of his relationship with Jim, to last night in Zach's car.

"Shaun, God, that totally sucks."

"Yeah." He flopped onto his back.

"Can I give you a little perspective?"

"Can I stop you?"

Abby giggled, "Absolutely not. Look, Shaun, he's a 22 year old closet case. This has absolutely nothing to do with you and you don't need to deal with this. Come up here today, let me and the girls take your mind off him."

Shaun groaned as the last time Abby had tried to cheer him up crossed his mind, "I might be gay, Abby, but an evening of _Sex and the City_ is not my idea of a good time."

"No girly DVDs will be present. We'll have an evening of marginally more responsible drinking than whatever you engaged in last night and you'll stay in my spare room until your lease starts."

"But Abby, here…I mean he's…"

"He's too close, Shaun. You need to get away from him, clear your head."

"Yeah…"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Okay. I'll see you in a few hours, after I've mainlined caffeine for a while."

"See you soon. It will get better, Shaun, I promise."

"Yeah, yeah…I'll get over him." He reached for Zach's pillow, "I always do."

 

**Zach**

Shaun let himself get lost in the kiss; he deserved it after what seemed like ages without. But as he started to work his way down Zach's neck, he was pushed away. "Shaun, stop, I haven't told you everything yet." Zach paused and looked down at the ground. He tried to step away, but Shaun held him back.

"No, no, no," he scolded gently, looping his arms around Zach's waist. "Stay here, tell me."

Zach pressed their foreheads together. "Jeanne's leaving, Shaun. She's moving to Portland with Allen and she's not taking Cody."

Shaun pulled Zach in closer, "that does sound like something she would do."

Zach pushed away. "This isn't a joke, Shaun? Cody's mother is abandoning him. I want to come live with you and go to school, but Cody has to come too."

"I know, I get it, man. I love Cody; I'd much rather have him with us than with Jeanne."

Zach started pacing the yard. "I really want this to work Shaun, it just seems like it should be such a bad idea."

"It's absolutely a recipe for disaster." Zach stopped his pacing and looked right at him, crushed. "If it were somebody else," Shaun added. "We've known each other forever, and I've never been in a relationship that felt this right." He held out his hand, "I promise. We'll be okay."

Zach took his hand and stepped back into his embrace. "We have to go get Cody," he mumbled into his shoulder, "Jeanne's leaving today."

"Okay, we're going." Shaun turned Zach around with his hands on his shoulders guiding him back through the house. When they got to the car, Zach turned around and kissed him. Shaun looked him in the eyes as he pulled away, "I do love you," he said.

The half-smile that broke out on Zach's face made him melt, just a little. "Yeah," Zach said, "me too."


End file.
